Erin Buggy

I believe deeply in our innate human capacity to heal, grow, overcome, and evolve into our fullest potential. And what I know is that when conditions are ideal, that is, when we feel truly understood, accepted, known, and safe to be our whole selves, incredible insights and meaningful shifts are both possible and probable.

In working with me, you can anticipate feeling respected, heard, known, supported, and accepted. You will also encounter tactful honesty, curiosity and compassion, ah-ha moments, your own creativity, tears, discomfort, relief, laughter, and even joy… because therapy really isn’t all drudgery!

While taking the initial leap into therapy can feel unsettling, with me you will find that my interpersonal style is warm, my office welcoming, and our work highly collaborative. I will meet you where you are at, tailor your treatment accordingly, use a combination of intervention strategies, and work as hard as you.

Dr. Erin Buggy received her degree in Clinical Psychology (Psy.D.) from Northern Arizona University. During her tenure as a graduate student, she regularly served as a teaching assistant for a variety of therapy, psychopathology, and ethics courses. Toggling for numerous years between student, assistant teacher, and trainee allowed Erin to dive deeply into the science, practice, and art of psychotherapy.

Erin’s dissertation involved developing a novel, integrative theoretical approach to understanding and approaching treatment of complex PSTD, the findings of which she has been invited to share on both state and national psychology association platforms. In 2023, Erin was formally recognized by NAU’s College of Education as the “Outstanding Doctoral Student from the department of Clinical Psychology” for her ongoing excellence and unique contributions to the program.

Erin also developed a novel therapy technique known formally as the Layered Symbolic Narrative (LSN) and informally as “The Listen Technique,” which has been used extensively within PCS’ Intensive Treatment Program. LSN is an experiential approach to processing that utilizes curated symbolic objects to convey and explore key aspects of one’s internal and external experience. This three-phase process, developed specifically for use with adults, has been used to treat trauma, addiction, grief, adjustment difficulties, mood disorders, and other common clinical presentations. LSN appears to evoke clarity, relief, and hope, as well as helps clients find language for their traumatic, ineffable, and confusing experiences. For both client and therapist, the LSN experience tends to be intriguing, engaging, and powerful, and it seems to naturally elicit curiosity, creativity, calmness, and connection.

Erin is passionate about connecting, creating, learning, evolving, mentoring, teaching, leading, collaborating, affirming, and advocating. Her time and energy are often spent pursuing these aims through her professional work and when communing with loved ones, snuggling her cats, and engaging in various hobbies and forms of self-care.